Last Updated on March 8, 2024 by CreditFred
I visited The Plumeria Lounge at Honolulu International Airport (HNL) in October 2021 during my Hawaii trip. The lounge is technically a Hawaiian Airlines lounge, but is also used by many of the airline’s partners. Notably, the lounge is also open to Priority Pass holders (which was how I got in, but more on that later).
In case you missed it, check out how I booked almost the entire vacation on points, and read about my reviews at hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton Residences and Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach.
Location
The lounge is located airside in Terminal 1 (Inter-Island Terminal), on the 3rd floor near the Wiki-Wiki Shuttle pick up area.
Since we were flying United, which operates out of Terminal 2, and we didn’t know there was a free shuttle, we ended up walking all the way across to Terminal 1 Thankfully, we realized how close the lounge was to the Wiki-Wiki Shuttle stop and took the shuttle directly to G-gates. Note that there is secondary security inspection (they X-ray your bags) before boarding the shuttle.
Access
This lounge is part of the Priority Pass lounge network, which is a benefit of many premium travel cards such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, or Capital One Venture X card. We were flying in economy on United Airlines, but was still able to access the lounge because of Priority Pass.
Priority Pass access requirements:
- Same-day boarding pass
- Departures and connecting flights only (not available for arrivals)
- 2 free guests
- Priority Pass card (or QR code through the App / Apple Wallet)
- Access may be restricted if at capacity (lounge may provide pre-packed food to-go)
Additionally, the lounge is also open for those flying in premium cabins on Hawaiian Airlines, since this lounge is operated by the airline. Check with your airline to see if your ticket qualifies.
Hours
The lounge is open for Priority Pass holders between 7:00am – 6:00pm Daily. Hours may be subject to change and may vary during winter schedules.
Check Priority Pass for most up-to-date info.
My Experience
Check-In
After scanning my Priority Pass card, I was welcomed in. The lounge was a little busy but nowhere near capacity. It was also nice that the lounge was air-conditioned (most of HNL is open-aired).
Lounge Environment
The lounge is pretty small, but I appreciated how they spaced out the seating. It was pretty busy when we first arrived at the lounge, but quickly emptied.
Although no tarmac view, the window seating is nice and relaxing. The lounge looks out to the Wiki Wiki shuttles (which run on the top level of the airport).
Some additional pictures of the lounge:
There’s also bathrooms within the lounge. Unfortunately no showers.
Food
The lounge has a very modest “buffet” – in fact, I wouldn’t even call it a buffet due to the limited options.
Some items that were offered during my visit:
- Drinks (soda, coffee, juice, tea, beer, wine)
- Instant noodles
- Sliders
- Fruits
- String cheese
- Chips, gummies, and other packaged snacks
Most notable may be the local Hawaiian beer and instant noodles. I actually really enjoyed eating some hot noodles before my 6-hour economy flight back to San Francisco.
Conclusion
If you are entering the lounge for an international or domestic first class flight, you may be disappointed at the lackluster food offerings and overall lounge amenities (not much).
However, if you are flying economy and/or domestically, the ability to get some basic food (especially ramen!) in an air-conditioned environment is really nice (since the terminal is mostly open-aired). For a domestic Priority Pass lounge, I found the offerings satisfactory. It certainly beats having to pay for over-priced food and sit in the hot/humid terminal before boarding!
